Lawn mower construction



Dec. 5, 1950 c. L. HUSSEY EI'AL LAWN MOWER CONSTRUCTION 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 26, 1949 A? INVENTORS CHESTERL.HU5$E7 AIVD IPA/VKZfi/PEE Y m?! TTORN s Dec. 5 i 9 50 c. 1.. HUSSEY EI'AL 2,532,813

LAWN MOWER CONSTRUCTION Filed NW. 26, 1949 2 ShetS-SheQt 2 g. INVENTORS CHzsn-R L. Hussr) Patented Dec. 5, 1950 Green, Easthampton, Mass.,-ass'ignors to 'S'ava'ge Arms Corporation, Utica, "N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application November 26, 1949, Serial No. 129,672

2 Claims. (01. 256-249) 1 This invention relates to lawn mowers and has for an object to provide a new and simplified lawn mower-construction made largely ofstamped metal parts and having a minimum of castings for economy in manufacture and lightness, em- 1 ciency and serviceability in use.

Another object is to provide a novel mounting assembly for the bed knife and reel carriage so that'a more economical blade may be'used, easily adjusted and replaced.

An additional object is to provide a wheel assembly with a novel tire mounting and spring and axle assembly;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail to show the tire mounting and reel pinion .gear drive ccnstruc- 3 tion;

Figs. 5 and 6 are views on lines E5--':5 and 6-6 respectively of Fig. 4; and

Figs. '7, 8, and 9 are fragmentary views of various parts to show further details of construction.

The handle I is joined-as by bolts 2 to two oppositely offset handle braces 3 which are mounted at their lower ends on a wheel axle 4. Wheels 5 are journaled on the ends of the axle and each wheel is mounted on two flanged bearing bushings 6 set between washers I holding the bushings in the hub of the wheel. Adjacent each extreme outer end of the axle 4 a transverse groove 8 is cut to receivea .split snap ring '9 so as to retain each wheel assembly on the axle.

The wheel hub I carries a wheel disk H being joined thereto as by the welding indicated at I 2. The outer periphery of the disk. is provided with an inwardly turned flange l3 inset into the outer side wall of a tire 14. As shown, the tire is of hard rubberized or plastic material and on its inner side wall is provided with an inner metallic rim l with a flange ['6 inset oppositely to flange l3 (Fig. 4). Rims l5 and zly wound coil springs :36

2 the outer edge of the disk l2 are tied through the tire by "spaced rivets l1.

'Two side plates I8 are spaced on axle 4 and each is mounted inwardly of and adjacent a handle brace 3. A washer I8 separates each handle brace and side plate. A pair of pins or 'keys2il, each'having a long arm passing through a hole 2''! in mile 4 holds the plates in spaced relation on the axle. Each-key 2B also holds the wheel parts mounted at each end portion of the axle between plate 18 and its end clamp ring An upper end 22 of key 20 is turned and inserted at right angles .into a hole '23 :in the adjacent side plate, so as to secure the relative positioning of the plate and axle 4 and to prevent their rotation with respect toeach other.

A'frontibrace tie rod 25 having each end there- .of threaded .to receive tie rod nuts 26 joins the iorwardup'per ends of side plates H3. The spacing :of the said side plates may be adjusted by manipulation of the tie :rod nuts 26 as will be explained.

In the lower portions of the plates is carried .a steel shaft 24 and at 2! on each plate is a bearing assembly for journaling shaft 24 which :passes through the plates "(Fig '4') The positioning :of'thereel is :determinedby a split ring 28 -snapped in a groove 29 on :the shaft atone side "thereof (as at the right hand end when viewing the assembly as shown 'by Fig. 2) and a spring :30 adjacent the other side plate and placed between said'plate and an adjacent spider 31 .of the reel. Spring presses 'the reel to bias the snap tring 2:8 against the bearing in the opposite "side plate 18. .Blades 32 are carried by the spaced spiders 31.

At each "outer end of the reel shaft are mount- .ed driving pinions 33 .(see Fig. 4) rotatably mounted 'on the shaft between split rings .34 snapped in spaced groovesxcut ateac'h-end of the shaft. Two washer plates .35 are mounted on 'eaichaside of itheipinion'and wrapped around the shaft 21'4i'fo1t'driving purposes are two opposite- Upwardly turnedouter ends Bl pf :springsfifi are provided for insertion into keeper matches :38 of the pinion.

."Asrshown it'he.innerrsurface of tire I 4 is formed as a gear ring in mesh with the teeth of pinion gears 33. The tire and gear ring are formed as a single non-separable structural unit. As illustrated a hard rubber material is shown. Alternatively, a fibre ring gear might be molded with the tire into a single unit or the unit might be entirely of molded plastic substance.

The ofiset 40 in wheel disc H is provided for 3 clearance of reel shaft 24 and to give structural rigidity to the wheel.

Springs 35 are wound oppositely to the di rection of forward movement of the reel in the cutting operation. It will be noted by considering Figs. 5 and 6 that as the mower is pushed and the wheels rotate forwardly the tire will drive the pinion and reel clockwise in the direction of the arrows. This is by reason of the pinion gear winding the coiled springs 36 tightly on the shaft and clutching the same when the ends 37 are pushed forwardly in notches 38. When the pinions are driven by the wheel in a reverse direction the springs are loosened on the axle and the reel remains stationary as when the mower is backed up. This provides a one-way clutch operation for driving the reel only on forward movement of the wheels. A similar arrangement is provided for the pinion on the other end of the reel shaft.

7 A bed knife or cutter blade 4| is mounted on the lower edges of side plates l8 as by bolts 42 (see Figs. 1 and 8). The blade as here shown may be in the form of a relatively thin metal strip similar in construction to the common hacksaw blade. When so constructed it is flexible and when attached by the bolts it may then be stretched between the side plates to provide a relatively rigid plate for cutting operations with the rotatable reel. In the construction described the side plates l8 are keyed in fixed spaced relation on the axle s and the rearward and forward portions of said plates can be moved inwardly and outwardly of the assembly with the keys 29 acting as fulcrums for the pivoting ac-' tion. Thus the blade 4| attached in place be tween the lower edges of the plates can be stretched between them by drawing together the upper forward end portions where joined by the front brace tie rod 25. The construction of the reel mounting assembly permits the necessary adjustment of the relative spacing between plates without affecting reel operation. The tie rod nuts 26 can be turned to provide the desired degree of tautness in cutter blade 4!.

The easy disassembly and replacement of a cutter blade 4! is accomplished by loosening the front brace tie rod 25 and relaxing the tension of the blade between the plates. With an arrangement of this type a flexible blade of economical construction ma easily be replaced with little effort and at small expense. In Fig. l a double edged blade is shown which enables its reversal to obtain a longer useful life in the machine. dinary hand lawn mower are in large part due to a damaged cutter blade or the adjustment between it and the reel. In the construction shown a flexible blade automatically compensates for minor variations in adjustment. Be-

ing stretched between the plates [3 it is resilient and less subject to damage. If a major injury is suffered by the blade its replacement is easily made at a small expense compared with the loss of use and expense of sharpening and adjusting the mower. If desirable under certain operating conditions a rigid cutter blade may be mounted in the assembly.

Inefficient cutting operations in the or- Roller brackets 43 carried by the handle braces 3 and the side plates I8 are provided with a roller 44 mounted between the lower ends of the brackets on pins 45 (Fig. 9). Spaced holes 46 (Fig. 1) are provided in the brackets for the desired mounting of the side plates carrying the cutter reel and bed knife. The side plates at their lower rearward ends carry screw bolts 41 for insertion in any one of the holes 46.

At the top of each bracket 43 is carried a stud bolt 48 attached to handle brace 3 by stud nuts 49 (Fig. 7) The bolt 48 is received by the roller bracket 43 in an elongated slot 50 at the top of the bracket. The bolts 48 are inwardly faced (see Fig. 2) and carry one end of a shock absorber compression spring assembly 5!. The other end of the assembly is mounted by a bolt 52 spaced on bracket 43. The sprin as shown has wires looped around the bolts and encircled by the spring coils 53. This assembly provides a resilient mounting for the handle I and permits a relatively even pushing operation in spite of variations in the ground level. The wires joining the bolts within the coils 53 maintain the compression spring in position between said bolts.

Having described our invention, we claim:

1. A lawn mower having a frame including spaced handle braces, a wheel axle mounting said braces and provided at each end with wheels journaled thereon, spaced side plates on said axle between said braces, said plates having forward and rearward extensions, pins in said axle holding the plates in spaced relation against rotation on the axle and providing limited movement of the extensions toward and away from each other, a reel shaft journaled in the rearward extensions of said plates, a reel on the shaft and yieldable means for positioning the same between said plates, a bed knife mounted between the plates at the periphery of the reel and an adjustable tie rod joining the forward extensions of said plates for tightening and loosening said knife.

2. A lawn mower having a frame includin a wheel axle provided with traction wheels supporting the same, spaced side plates mounted on said axle and having rearward and forward extensions, pins keyed to said axle and to said plates permitting limited movement of said extensions toward and away from each other, a flexible bed knife connecting the rearward extensions, a reel mounted therebetween, and an adjustable tie rod connecting the forward extensions for tightening and loosening said bed knife.

CHESTER L. HUSSEY. FRANK T. GREEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,809,698 Hessenbruch June 9, 1931 2,197,264 Cooper Apr. 16, 1940 2,300,712 Starkey Nov. 3, 1942 

